After honing her craft with Veruca Salt, Nicole Fiorentino proved herself as a member of the Smashing Pumpkins, replacing Ginger Pooley for an underrated era that included Teargarden by Kaleidyscope and Oceania.
Fiorentino left in 2014 and went on to form Cold and Lovely and Bizou, while also opening a pet-sitting business in Los Angeles. After a period of downtime, Fiorentino joined Louise Post’s touring band in 2023. Recently, it was announced she’d be replacing Pooley once more – this time as part of Garbage’s touring band.
Notably, former Garbage bassist Eric Avery, of Jane’s Addiction fame, has his own Smashing Pumpkins connection. Fiorentino has no idea if it’s anything other than a coincidence. “There are some similarities stylistically – but we run in the same circles as well, so it could just be an access thing,” she says.
Fiorentino didn’t play on Garbage’s upcoming record, but she’s elated to play some of those songs while also digging into the band’s catalog. “I don't like playing it safe and sticking with the same old ways,” she explains.
“It’s exciting for me with Garbage because it’s a whole new way of playing on stage that I’ve not experienced – it’s a good challenge.”
What inspired you to pick up the bass?
“My dad was a musician. When I was little, I used to go down to the basement when he practiced with his bands. I always just wanted to be around the band. It wasn't until my teens when I started getting into bands like Hole, L7, Babes in Toyland, Bikini Kill and Garbage, that I wanted to start an all-girl band.
“My best friend wanted to sing and play guitar, so I decided to try bass. My parents bought me my first bass for Christmas, and from that day on, it’s been all I ever wanted to do.”
What sort of scene were you exposed to?
“I grew up in Ludlow, Massachusetts. People were pretty heavy into hardcore music, ska and metal. My friends and I were more into punk, alternative and riot grrrl. There weren’t really any other girl punk bands in the area, so we ended up being the only girls playing with a sea of hardcore male bands.
“I got used to working within a male-dominated industry pretty early on. I was always desperately trying to find other women to work with.”
What was your bass rig like when you recorded IV with Veruca Salt?
“At that time, I was primarily using Mesa Boogie. I actually didn’t play bass on most of that record – the bass was pretty much done. I mostly did background vocals but I played bass on Innocent and Closer, which were added at the last minute.”
How did you get the gig?
“I met Louise Post through a mutual friend. She had been asking around for female bassists. She had Stephen Fitzpatrick lined up to play guitar and Kellii Scott on drums, and she wanted a girl in the band to sing harmonies.
“Louise and I met at a coffee shop and really hit it off. She asked me to jam with her and the boys at her rehearsal space in Downtown LA, and everything just fell into place from there. Louise and I are still very good friends – I toured for her solo record, Sleepwalker, which came out in 2023. Everyone should check it out!”
How did you join the Smashing Pumpkins?
“I was playing with a band called Light FM from Chicago, who were opening for Billy Corgan’s solo project. He complimented my bass-playing style. A few months later, Ginger Pooley left to have a family. Billy remembered me from that show and had his management find me. The rest is history!”
Was D’Arcy Wretzsky a big influence on you growing up?
“Oh yes – I remember seeing Smashing Pumpkins videos on MTV and thinking, ‘I want to be exactly like that girl!’ She was so badass, with her blue hair in tiny buns and her silver pants.
For me, smaller shows are actually scarier because they’re so intimate
“I grew up in a male-driven music world; representation really mattered. It’s the most wonderful thing to me when a girl or young woman tells me that I’ve inspired her to play bass. I feel like I’ve given back what has been given to me by women in the industry.”
Can you recall your first gig with the Pumpkins?
“We did a secret warm-up show at the Viper Room in LA before our tour. I think the capacity there is 75 people or something, so it was mostly friends and family. For me, the smaller shows are actually scarier because they’re so intimate.”
Was there pressure to measure up to the band’s earlier era?
“There was some pressure – but we were encouraged to bring our own style to the table. I had big shoes to fill, but I also knew that I had a lot to offer on my own, and I was very confident in that. I think Billy saw that in me, and that’s why I had a lot of creative freedom with the bass on Oceania.”
Oceania was fantastic. You brought a ton of rhythmic heaviness to the table. What was your rig like?
“I’m very proud of my work on that album. I was playing through a Reeves head and cabinet. I can’t remember my pedalboard setup, but it included an EHX Neo Clone chorus pedal and a Subdecay Quasar delay – which is funny because that was a track on the album.”
What led to the end of your time in the Pumpkins?
“It was a complicated ending that I’ve since moved past. I have no bad blood at this point. Everything happens exactly how it’s supposed to.”
Do you have a proudest Smashing Pumpkins moment?
“I think being able to say that I contributed to an album by a legendary rock band is pretty cool. And being able to connect with fans who’ve continued to follow my career has been a beautiful thing.”
You’re playing with Garbage now. How did you get the gig?
“Actually it was quite out of the blue. One morning early this year I woke up to a DM on my Instagram from Shirley Mason, asking if I’d be interested in the gig. We had never met so I was pretty surprised.
“In addition, I got an email from Butch Vig. It was really cool that they both reached out to me personally and didn’t go through management or anything. I got back to them really quickly and said, ‘Absolutely. I’d be honored.’
I adore singing with Miss Shirley… It’s great to be in a band with such a powerful, opinionated and badass woman
Was there an audition?
“I had met Butch when he came to see the Smashing Pumpkins, so he had already seen me play. I was also recommended by some mutual friends, including Brian Aubert from Silversun Pickups, who Butch produces. So, I didn't actually have to audition, which was amazing.”
What sort of rig will you be deploying with Garbage?
“I’ll be using Reverend Decision basses, which I used with the Smashing Pumpkins as well. Garbage doesn’t use amps live. Everything is run through their Helix system and we wear in-ear monitors. I don’t have a pedalboard since everything is run through the Helix, making for a very clean stage.
“It took a little getting used to, not being able to feel the vibration of the amps and have the sound beyond the in-ears. But it’s really great for vocalists who want to be sustainable and it’s good for everyone’s ears.”
Do you traditionally prefer tube amps?
“I’ve always used tube amps, but I’ve always been open to modelers as well. I think it's exciting to change things up; to be open to new technologies and ways of doing things. You can always go back to what you did before.”
What Garbage songs are you most excited about playing?
“I really love playing #1Crush. It’s bass-heavy and it’s the sexiest groove. And in When I Grow Up, I sing a lot of harmonies. I adore singing with Miss Shirley. Sex Is Not the Enemy is powerful and really gets the crowd going too. With No Horses, I play keys, so that's a little harder for me as I don’t play keys often.”
What’s your outlook as you move forward?
“I’m having the time of my life; this gig was very unexpected, so I’m just feeling grateful. It’s an incredible band made up of the most genuine and amazing humans. It’s so great to be in a band with such a powerful, opinionated and badass woman. I love backing her up every night.
“I’m looking forward to the release of their new album, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, and touring in support of it in the fall.”
- Let All That We Imagine Be the Light arrives on May 30 and it’s available for pre-order now.
